Coming in strong after the original beatboxes of the late 70s, such as the Compu-Rhythm 8000 and the CR78. A name change to ‘Drum machines’ saw stalwarts like the LinnDrum 2 and the DMX put a drummer right in front of you.
The Oberheim DMX garnered its own special following, similar to the E-MU SP1200. Beloved to the extent that a few artists even incorporated the funky box into their own brand of artistry.
Unlike a car which as soon as driven off the courtyard loses nearly 50% of its value! The DMX and others like it have held fast in value. Commanding big ticket prices well into the age of the plugin, which can replicate their unique sounds almost identically. The “swing” of which is left to the artist to try and capture.
I bought the G-Force Software version of this famous classic last year. G-Force really does seem to have a genuine love of the instruments they convert into digital versions. Their String Machine plugin is a veritable library of classic machines meticulously sampled. I recommend it.
DX / DMX / DSX
OK. So the DMX is the most famous admittedly. But we shouldn’t ignore its siblings! The DSX is not a drum machine at all. In fact it’s a digital sequencer. This makes sense. After all, you’ve bought the DMX or its ‘lite’ version: the DX, and now you want to sequence some boss drum patterns. Now you can.
I’m pleased to report that Oberheim is still alive and kicking. They were briefly acquired by Gibson in the late 80’s – roughly a year after PPG went bankrupt, until the brand name was returned to its founder Tom Oberheim in 2009.
It must be very gratifying to create a brand that has had such an impact on contemporary Western musical culture. Will any of the plugins available today be able to say the same thing? Time will tell.